House of the Dragon - good or a train wreck

Well I’ve just binge watched A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and did enjoy it. Am now going to rewatch with the commentaries etc like I did with GOT’s. Unlike House of the Dragon there is a lot of humour in it albeit being a bit banal at times. Only problem was that I’d already seen most of the good bits on instagram when they were promoting it. It did give me a GOT’s fix which went part way to healing my broken heart from series eight. I may be reaching the point where I can rewatch GOT’s and appreciate the good bits again. And, like GOT’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was filmed in N Ireland.

The GOT’s episode that was a homage to Ray Harryhausen (sp) featuring the children of the forest was sublime. As was the culmination of Hodors story. And I well up even thinking about Arya meeting up with Nymeria again ( I’m doing it now). I think the books are very well written; I’ve only dipped into the first one to get a feel for it. But it’s so wrong that knowing what a strong fan base he had the author just kept going off onto other projects and leaving everyone with just an unsatisfying tv series ending. I doubt if he will ever finish them. I still think that in general it’s the best thing I’ve ever seen for most of the series. But, if watching it for the first time I’d probably stop watching at @ episode three or four.of series eight.

I'm intermittently binge watching GoT I'm just heading towards series 8, which I believe is the disappointing series. I don't think I will read the books now.
From what I have heard HoTD is a bit Marmite, so once I crack this GoT, I will see what's it's like.

My problem with HOTD is we know how the end happens, and I am not talking about the book. In GOT Joffrey told Margary how Rhaenyra dies. He set the end by telling the story. We also know who was Danarys ancestor both of these characters are missing in action. It is fine to change incidentals but to get to the already stated end you really should not change fundamentals.

Bridey

Fingers crossed May Bee 70, we make it, but if they make series 5 im pushing my luck 😂

Remember I’ve got to wait another year for the dvd to come out .

Fingers crossed May Bee 70, we make it, but if they make series 5 im pushing my luck 😂

Bridey

Its the Finale next week, ive enjoyed it, Matt Smith+ the dragons have been very good.
Next series will be 2028! hope im still around to watch it.😃

That’s the problem with these series! I used to worry that I wouldn’t be around to see the next Lord of the Rings film back in the day and there was far more chance of me still being around then than there is now! It’s why with things like Succession or The Sopranos I wait till the series has ended and then buy the box set!

Its the Finale next week, ive enjoyed it, Matt Smith+ the dragons have been very good.
Next series will be 2028! hope im still around to watch it.😃

Yes, I totally agree with you there. I also loved GoT to the point of obsession - I even went on a GoT tour in Northern Ireland with my son, which was fantastic. I think the writing was so much better then too - there was much greater depth to the characters, so we really cared about them, and there seemed to be far more twists and turns. HoTD, on the other hand, just seems more predictable. But I'll carry on watching anyway...

I loved GOT’s to the point of obsession back in the day. Most of the characters, with some obvious exceptions were lovable. But that is lacking in House of the Dragon along with a lack of humour. I’ve been seeing bits of GOT’s pop up on instagram and can now ( almost) consider rewatching it (because when it was good it was very good) but I’ve never been able to get over the disappointment of the ending. I nearly didn’t watch it at all; having to wait for the dvd to come out meant that I wasn’t able to avoid spoilers and should have just watched the first half of the last series. I remember the years when I couldn’t wait for the dvd to come out and would then watch the whole series several times marvelling at the costumes, location, humour etc. And whenever I’d sometimes think this episode isn’t very good something would happen which would make me go ‘crikey, I didn’t see that happening’. I eventually decided to finish off watching Vikings, which had never grabbed me in the way GOT’s did and, blow me, unlike nearly all long running series, it actually had the perfect ending. Maybe House of the Dragons will come good at the end; which is, I suppose, why we stick with these things.

I've been watching but have to say the characters in HoTD aren't as engaging as those in GOT were. I've watched GOT lots of times but not this one. Big shout-out for Matt Smith though, he's brilliant as Daemon.
I think the only way to watch, is to keep book and show separate, once a book gets into the hands of TV producers, it gets completely chopped and changed, it's annoying but not everything can fit into a TV production, maddening, but it's what they do. Maybe the best way is to watch then read, then you keep more hair ☺️

I cant help myself, I keep comparing and the more I watch the more I wonder how they are going to get to the proper ending, especially with people missing who have to be at the ending

Kartush

ViceVersa

Kartush

Has anyone read the books?

Yes, I have.

And how are you finding the adaptation, is it driving you crazy?

I think I learned my lesson with GoT, to be honest. I remember going 'that's not what happens in the books' so many times, that I think I've just learned to enjoy HoTD for what it is, and not keep comparing it to the books or it would absolutely drive me crazy!

ViceVersa

Kartush

Has anyone read the books?

Yes, I have.

And how are you finding the adaptation, is it driving you crazy?

Kartush

Has anyone read the books?

Yes, I have.

Has anyone read the books?

I always used to buy the GOT’s dvds because they would have extras such as commentaries and also features on locations, lighting, costumes etc.I’d watch the episodes then, after watching the extras would rewatch them again. That was until the last series that I couldn’t face rewatching, I was so disappointed.

Still watching and enjoying it, i found the " The house the dragons built" series of how the set/costumes etc are made fascinating and helpful.

I think some series we just get into the habit of watching even when they turn into something awful. I’m like that ( to my shame) with Made in Chelsea

I am still watching it but i am not sure why

We gave up on it fairly early on, too disjointed and confusing nothing like the fantastic GOT.

I’ll have to wait till the dvd comes out. I can’t remember what happened in the last series so may have to rewatch it. I’m not as taken with it as I was with Game of Thrones. Have ordered A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, though, which I’m looking forward to…

I am frankly not sure how they are going to get to the end they need to get to seeing as they have made so many changes

I know what you mean. Obviously with GoT, it was a bit different as GRRM hasn't even finished the book series yet, and I think everyone did expect there to be some changes in HoTD from the book, but not to this extent.